Thousands of dock workers stay home, West Coast ports shut down

[2008]

Source: Los Angeles Times

All 29 ports on the West Coast, including the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, have been effectively shut down this morning as thousands of dockworkers stayed home to protest the Iraq war. The walkout comes two months before the contract between dockworkers and and port operators expires.

"We are supporting the troops and telling politicians in Washington that it's time to end the war in Iraq," union president Bob McEllrath said.

McEllrath, whose comments came in a press release handed out by union officials in the Port of Los Angeles area, said rank-and-file members decided in early January to stand down on May 1.

The dockworkers' action also affected ports in Oakland, Seattle and San Diego, and was expected to last between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The dockworkers do virtually all the work involved in loading and unloading freight between ships and the port, handling containers brimming with toys, clothing, computers and automobiles.

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/05/this-just-in-th.html

[FourScore]

1. Proud to be the first to recommend!

Thank you dock workers!

[Warpy]

2. Wow! I'm impressed!

Let's hope the notion spreads. If any country is overdue for a national strike, it's this one.

[ForeignSpectator]

65. Overdue for national strike and pitchforks... n/t

[Demeter]

3. I Didn't Think America Had It In Her Any More. Lead the Way!

[zanne]

72. I know! I'm so proud of them! nt

[mac2]

4. Good for them.

They should have had a national strike in protest of NAFTA but like now the "media story" hid it all.

It was a 2006 mandate but Congress and the President still ignore us. They are like drunken sailors who can't stop their binging on profits from war. Why not end it Nancy and Harry?

Profits on the dead Americans and Iraqis. How can they sleep at night?

[Thaddeus]

5. Yes!

We need much more of this!

[mac2]

7. The French do it why not the dock workers here in the US?

[truedelphi]

6. K & R'ed for posting what I see as a good news piece.

Gets tiring to see such depressing stuff all the time.

the dockworkers rock

[LeftyMom]

8. Anybody know if they're picketing, or just staying home?

If they're out front, I'll see about bringing some drinks down or something (it's hot out in the sun) since my late stepdad worked at the port, and I know a lot of those guys.

I guess I could call my sister and ask, she works down Harbor a couple of blocks at UPS.

[2008]

11. From Oakland:

"Pacific Maritime Association spokesman Steve Getzug says thousands of dockworkers did not show up to work Thursday morning, leaving ships and thousands of truck drivers idle at ports from Long Beach to Seattle."

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=6115242

I haven't been able to find anything about picketing.

[2008]

36. I stand corrected: photo of Port of Oakland protest

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3231624&mesg_id=3232416

[LeftyMom]

40. Yeah, but I need to know for the Port of Sacto.

Oakland is a bit much of a drive. ;)

[mike_c]

41. Happy Labor Day longshoremen!

:woohoo: :yourock:

[AnneD]

9. More balls...

than most. Your union sister salutes you-make us proud:patriot:

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. Good for them, I hope others follow.

It's time someone stood up to this trasvesty.

[underpants]

12. and on May Day no less

:patriot:

[puebloknot]

38. I had the same thought. MSM will call them Commies! But we won't! nt

[slackmaster]

43. Yup

I almost wore my Treasures of the Soviet Union t-shirt to work today, but it was Phở day and I didn't want to get it stained.

[Popol Vuh]

13. I am a Longshoreman

And yes we are having a stop work all along the coast.

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. I salute you, and your brothers and sisters in this action.

Thank you, from one union member to another.

[Warpy]

18. Thank you!!!

I hope people across the country pick up on this.

[mbperrin]

19. God bless you!

We need more of this!

[Popol Vuh]

21. Thanks you three

Although I am sure we'll catch a bit of hell from the PMA and Shippers for it, however, I am sure by the weekend they'll have gotten over it. Besides there's a much bigger message to send. That we the people have already spoken through our last election that we do not want this bad decesion to continue, the time to end it is now, not later. Many of you (politicians) we sent to Washington to do just that, but, you've ignored us. Well.....here's a reminder of who's the real leaders of our country -- The working class.

[BonnieJW]

68. Bless you all.

True courage and bravery. If more groups would do this it would send a tremendous message.

[kimmylavin]

48. Thank you!

From one union family to another! :hi:

[Indenturedebtor]

80. You are the best!

Is there an email where we can send our thanks and support? Or a website we can post at?

[Popol Vuh]

106. Well thank you, but, the credit belongs

to the ILWU Vietnam vets who pushed for this action. And it was my pleasure to just be a supportive co-worker. Especially on this very important issue.

Yes, there is a place to contact. Here's a link to our site where you can find a "contact us" link at the bottom of the page.

http://www.ilwu.org/

:hi:

[King Coal]

82. God Bless ys, Brothers!

[Hydra]

84. Thank you and all of your fellow members

I'm glad all of you were willing to take a stand, it gives me hope!

:patriot:

[shrike]

98. From one union household to another

Solidarity forever!

And thank all your brothers and sisters for me.

[Agony]

99. Thank You for standing up to be counted.

[kineneb]

101. thanks, my grandfather would have been pleased - IAM-AW

He was a 30+ year member.
I am a union brat...grandparents raised me...at 18 registered to vote at the union hall...voted Dem in 1976 and ever since then.

[Popol Vuh]

107. Thank you kineneb and all the rest of you.

for your kind responses. Hopefully this display will help make law makers see that we the people who they are suppose to represent are not in the least bit satisfied with their performance and lack of.


:toast:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

15. My hats off to these wonderful people.

I thank them from the bottom of my heart. :patriot:

[Raster]

16. "Look for the Union Label!" Bless their hearts!!!

Wake the fuck up, America!:kick:

[diane in sf]

17. Thank you from another union worker, everyone in this country who makes less than $500k

a year should join a union.

[Cleita]

20. Oh yes, the beginning of something.

Maybe we should join them in boycotting certain products to punctuate that statement. Of course this won't make news in the MSM, but hurting offending corporations in their bottom line could get their attention.

[Jim__]

22. That is great news!

We need national workers strikes. And absolute refusal to move war materials. Great job by the dockworkers!

[Mrs. Overall]

23. Longshoremen begin walkout at Seattle, Tacoma ports

Source: KOMO

SEATTLE -- Longshoremen at the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma refused to work on Thursday as part of a union protest against U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fellow union members along the West Coast are taking part, brining cargo traffic to a halt.

An arbitrator on Wednesday ordered the union that represents dockworkers at West Coast ports to tell members they must report to work and not take the day off, but union leaders in Seattle said they have given their support to any of their 2,000 members who chose not to work. Pacific Maritime Association spokesman Steve Getzug said thousands of workers at ports along the West Coast failed to report to work on Thursday.

"There's no work happening so that means there's no cargo being unloaded and certainly being loaded either," Getzug said.

Seattle dockworkers gathered at their union hall holding signs that read "No Peace - No Work."



Read more: http://www.komotv.com/news/18436769.html

[Lone_Star_Dem]

24. Duplicate

Original topic here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3292462

[mdmc]

25. Terminal operators say West Coast cargo traffic halted

Source: AP via yahoo

LOS ANGELES - Terminal operators say West Coast cargo traffic has come to a halt as port workers stage daylong anti-war protests.

?x=400&y=264&sig=wSfz4Ieh2GnuCLZj922klA--

A spokesman for the National Retail Federation says shippers and exporters planned for the slowdown that coincides with May Day and expected no significant long-term disruptions.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080501/ap_on_bi_ge/port_labor

---

SOLIDARITY!

[diane in sf]

26. Evryone who earns less than $500k a year needs to form a union.

[kestrel91316]

27. ".......port workers stage daylong anti-war protests........"

I am VERY proud of our port workers. KPCC just interviewed a guy about the ANTI-WAR protest a little while ago.

Betcha the MSM ignores the fact that this is an ANTI-WAR protest on the news tonight......

[Gman]

28. I dare any Republican to cross that picket line!

[trashcanistanista]

29. I'm home today in solidarity.

Non-union health care worker. Thank you longshoremen.:patriot:

Happy May Day everyone.

[dysfunctional press]

30. once the nafta highway is fully opened, they'll be able to stay home for good.

whether they want to or not.

[loudsue]

97. Yours is a voice crying in the wilderness .... most are in denial about how bad that

new highway will be in the long run.

:kick:

[mahina]

31. While I applaud the action,

I sure hope it's short, or all us island people are up an ocean without a paddle.

[suffragette]

33. It'a one day May Day action

[mahina]

34. Of course! May Day, right!

Oops.

[suffragette]

42. Love the pic in your sig line, by the way

[Megahurtz]

32. Wonderful!

:bounce:

[ckramer]

35. Proud of these brothers!

"We are supporting the troops and telling politicians in Washington that it's time to end the war in Iraq"

Can not agree more!

[progressoid]

37. Wow. Just WOW!

[puebloknot]

39. Be still, my thumping heart. Cojones! Nothing less. Love it! nt

Edited for typo. My Spanish is not good.

[Usrename]

44. Workers of the world unite!

Yes!

[nebula]

45. Photos

[bluesmail]

46. Hope they don't get Ronnie Raygunned

and lose their jobs, it could happen in this twisted world we live in. K&R

[Aloha Spirit]

47. Best news in a LONG time. Thank you dockworkers!

[redsoxrudy]

49. Way to go brothers and sisters!

As my man Billy Bragg said,
"There is power in a factory, power in the land.
Power in the hands of a worker.
But it all amounts to nothing if together we don't stand.
There is power in a Union."

[ekwhite]

50. Wow, that is great

This is the kind of action we need.

[Divine Discontent]

51. Proud of my union brothers & sisters EOM

[sce56]

52. Too bad the liberal main stream media DID NOT CARRY this story!

Liberal my A$$

[Ken Burch]

53. Here's to my fellow Longshoremen!

Harry Bridges would be proud!

The ILWU was one of the few U.S. unions that took an anti-Vietnam War stance, supported the Civil Rights movement, opposed apartheid, and in general avoided the pointless racist Cold War conservatism of George Meany.

[Lorien]

54. Now if the rest of us could find a way to do that

a huge National strike would get their attention, since dipping profits ALWAYS get their attention!

[vanlassie]

55. WOW. Just WOW. Proud to be a Californian today!!! nt

[Patriot Abroad]

56. How strongly will the Republicans condemn this?

I'm sure the fox machine and dittoheads are already making random disgruntled "how dare they" noises.

[judasdisney]

57. DLC will condemn this

and Republican oligarchs are privately squirming and seething: "THIS is why UNIONS must be DESTROYED! When our Generals stage the upcoming military coup, the Unions could fucking stop us cold in our tracks!"

[HockeyMom]

58. My Dad was ILA

May he rest in peace. Nice to see that they are still getting involved.

Hats off to you guys. :yourock:

[jeff30997]

59. thousands of dockworkers stayed home to protest the Iraq war???

Wow!Just wow!I thought that the Unions in the states were just weak corrupted puppets of the

corporations!

I stand corrected and I'm so happy about this! Yeah!!!:grouphug:

[barbtries]

60. from the comments:

"Are these folks capable of thinking what will happen in Iraq if our troops were to leave now?"
Are folks like you capable of thinking beyond the propaganda issued by the Bush/Cheney regime and their media minions? Do you fall for all of the fear mongering or just that related to the bogus "war on terror"?
Neoconservatives want perpetual war because it allows government to become more secretive, more powerful, and more intrusive while dismantling our civil liberties. Perpetual war gives the executive branch more ability to grab power and impose ideology, and to cement the corporate empire with the military-industrial complex at its helm.
I support any who speak out against the travesty of the Iraq invasion and occupation.

i could not have said it better. it distresses me to see how many commenters think the dock workers getting political is a bad idea. if this country is going to be saved it's going to involve all of the people getting political. and that is a big IF.

wish i was back in LA to show my support for this. END THE OCCUPATION NOW.
peace. amen

[YankeyMCC]

61. What can I say - Kudos and Thank you to the proud and brave Union members making this protest!

[Enthusiast]

62. It isn't on CNN, imagine that.

I've heard "Unions are what is wrong with this country a million times."

Of course it is always from idiots that never vote their best interests.

[freefall]

63. Thank you Dockworkers!!!! Maybe there is a little hope for this

country after all.

:kick:

Peace,

freefall

[MisterHowdy]

64. WOW....way to go, dockworkers.

Things like this actually DO make a difference.
I didn't think the USA had it in her.


Cheers,

n/t

[paparush]

66. Hell Yes! Dockworkers on the west coast. Truckers in DC!!

Protests, demonstrations, and strikes shaped what is good in our country!

[mcollier]

67. Good Idea

Vote Obama...

[Better Believe It]

69. Terrific!

[closeupready]

70. That's amazing! Cheers to them!

:)

[Kajsa]

71. I am so proud of them!

This makes me proud to be a Californian.

The workers standing united to protest the Iraq war.

I saw nothing on the news yesterday about this.
NOTHING- on the LA news channels!

Bless each and every one of the workers out there
on May Day, no less!

:)

[Lost-in-FL]

73. They are doing this "France style" eh?

Good for them! Gotta hit the WH where it hurts them the most and that is financially.

[Lost-in-FL]

74. Why is this not in the MSM??? n/t

[ElboRuum]

77. Did a quick search...

Thus far AP and Reuters are carrying the story, but I haven't heard a peep from any of the networks.

[FirstLight]

81. My question exactly!

I have ben flipping chanels all morning, and even checking some of the sac and bay area stations...NOTHING!


WTF?

How do we help....? can we make some noise people? should we flood the news stations with calls and emails?


let's unite...solidarity rock on!

[Pacifist Patriot]

75. Now how will the M$M hide this protest?

[ElboRuum]

76. Lovin' it! Luuuvvvvin it!

:popcorn:

[Subdivisions]

78. Was there even a single peep about this from the

worthless, chickenshit MSM? I had the TV on CNN on in the background most of the day yesterday while I was working and never once heard them say anything about this work stoppage.

[Doctor_J]

79. Woo-hoo! Too bad we can't organize a general strike!

A few days during which the 71% who don't like * stay home from work would get some results.

[Joanne98]

83. Good for them!

[ooglymoogly]

85. At last a large group of patriots doing something meaningful

Go Dockworkers.

[lovuian]

86. Alleluia!!! OMG they did it I told you the revolution has started

if Congress and Military doesn't do it then the American Worker WILL

God Bless them ONE and all

[dixiegrrrrl]

87. Poor bastards...

little do they know that the Bush plans for the NAFTA Super Hwy will allow imports to bypass the US ports altogether, by coming to Mexico ports.
Which was the plan....to break the unions.
All they have to do is look at the map of the corridor.
http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2006/aug06/06-08-23.html

and this on all the plans:
http://www.eagleforum.org/topics/NAU/


and finally, a site where we can all see how it is progressing:
http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc/index.htm

All this is going with hardly any news coverage.

[dixiegrrrrl]

89. oh lordy...then I found this....

Red China is investing heavily in developing deep-water ports in Mexico to bring an unprecedented volume of containers into the U.S. along the emerging NAFTA Super Highway. This move signals China’s emergence as the unexpected economic winner in the North American Union free market.


source: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=16407
a conservative blog..
but hey, what better place to find out what they are doing?

so we are watching extinction of longshoremen, and USA truckers...
that's why all the stink about Mexican trucks being allowed to drive in US.

[GreenEyedLefty]

88. I wholeheartedly support a general strike

It's about time "we the people" stand the hell up.

[Better Believe It]

90. Atni-War Longshore Workers Show More Guts Than U.S. Congress

Please read the article on the GD board at:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=389

[Vidar]

91. I'm damned proud of 'em!

[Omaha Steve]

92. For my brothers & sisters

K&R!

[knight_of_the_star]

93. Hats off to the Longshoremen!

Hats off to the Union and the brave men and women who run this country!

[KansasElector]

95. Proved Nothing - Hurt Others

Among them was Guillermo Castillo, 35, of Calexico, who decided to wait it out near the TraPac Terminal in the Port of Los Angeles. Resting his head on a towel matted against his cab door, Castillo complained: "I heard nothing about this. I'm losing a whole day of work, and about $580."

A mile to the east at the Port of Long Beach, Nelson Hernandez, 25, of Bellflower was among half a dozen short-haulers killing time at a lunch wagon parked outside a terminal gate. Shaking his head in dismay, he said, "No work anyplace around here. Losing $400, at least. I'm going home."

Yes, bow down to these union workers that took money out of the pockets of Guillermo Castillo, Nelson Hernandez and probably hundreds of other working class individuals that lost money because of their walkout.

This kind of action has no strategic effect on national policy or on the bottom line of the corporations, but many people living paycheck to paycheck were disadvantaged because of it.

"It will cost us extra money. We'll have to run an extra shift to catch up, but this will not slow the ports down much and it won't impact our customers at all," said Mike Zampa, a spokesman for APL, a subsidiary of one of the world's biggest ocean shipping conglomerates, Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines.

As I said, they'll just surge to offset the walkout. In the end, this is just a "feel good" action that did nothing except hurt the working class.

[poppysgal]

94. way to go

:patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[rosesaylavee]

96. K & R

[Ronnie Roach]

100. Workers shut down west coast ports! Kudos to the ILWU!

Jack Heys of the ILWU said on Democracy Now: Protest has now become resistance against the occupation of IRAQ. This was a major achievement in the anti-war movement. Very rarely a union would have a shut down that is not about a union issue. This non-violent resistance is more effective than a bunch of son's and daughters of the middle class running around in black ski masks overturing cars and breaking windows. If the ballot box fails us, then we protest, if that fails, then we have strikes. In the event that tacit fails then comes civil disobedience. If all fails, then the last resort is Revolution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLVWzOp7Q70

[Q3JR4]

102. We support you!

http://www.youtube.com/v/kYiKdJoSsb8&hl=en

[SleeplessinSoCal]

103. Union YES!!!

[Zorra]

104. We should all join them in a nationwide general strike. Shut the country down

That would get us out of Iraq real quick.

[Miss Carly]

105. we should have a general strike against the war, gas and food prices

give the nation back to the citizens, shut down the big companies that have our pocketbooks

[bronxiteforever]

108. Kick!

:kick: